At the September 14 press conference held by the State Council Information Office on the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Supporting Fujian in Exploring a New Path for Cross-Strait Integrated Development and Building a Cross-Strait Integrated Development Demonstration Zone," Cong Liang, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, pointed out—

In recent years, in terms of infrastructure connectivity, we have actively promoted the planning and construction of Fujian's transportation infrastructure, built a comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network, and acquired the engineering and technical capability to connect Fujian and Taiwan with a high-speed corridor, laying a solid foundation for raising the level of cross-strait infrastructure connectivity.

At present, people on both sides of the strait have long awaited direct cross-strait infrastructure connectivity. We must work together to realize as soon as possible the dream of people on both sides of the strait easily crossing the Taiwan Strait by high-speed rail, to enable more goods from Taiwan to reach European and Asian markets via the China-Europe freight trains and other routes, and to better benefit compatriots on both sides of the strait.

The Xiamen New Airport under construction is close to Kinmen ▲

In terms of transportation infrastructure connectivity, the Opinions propose: appropriately advance the development of transportation and logistics infrastructure and increase support in funding and other factors. Promote the full connectivity of Fujian-Taiwan infrastructure as it should be, build a three-dimensional comprehensive hub for Taiwan-related channels, and smooth the connections between Fujian and Taiwan and other regions of the mainland. Further optimize and increase the frequency of passenger and cargo routes along the Fujian coast to Taiwan proper and to Kinmen and Matsu.

Support Xiamen and Kinmen in accelerating integrated development, explore a model of Xiamen-Kinmen cooperation in jointly building infrastructure, accelerate the supply of electricity, gas, and bridge links to Kinmen, and support Kinmen in sharing Xiamen New Airport; advance the supply of water, electricity, gas, and bridge links between Fuzhou and Matsu; and support the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone in building more convenient cross-strait exchange channels.

In October 2019, at the Symposium on the Taiwan Strait Channel and the Kinmen-Matsu Bridge Connection held in Fuzhou, more than 40 experts and scholars from both sides of the strait shared research results and progress on topics such as Taiwan Strait engineering technology and applications.

The participating experts and scholars discussed topics including the geology and hydrology of the Taiwan Strait, the application of new bridge innovation technologies and design concepts in the construction of the Taiwan Strait channel project, the construction model and economic benefits of the Taiwan Strait channel project, and the bridge connection plans for Fuzhou-Matsu (Rong-Ma) and Xiamen-Kinmen (Xia-Jin). A preliminary plan for bridge connections between the two places has now been formed.

Schematic diagram of the Xiamen Third East Channel (Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge) plan

Meng Fanchao, chief designer of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and deputy chief engineer of China Communications Construction Company, believes that the Taiwan Strait channel should consider both highway transportation demand and railway transportation demand, and that the road and rail channels can be built separately in different ways. The Taiwan Strait grand channel should be built according to the concepts of large-scale, factory-based, standardized, and prefabricated construction used for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

"After the completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, we are very confident about building the Taiwan Strait grand channel. We have the ability to solve the engineering and technical problems of this super sea-crossing channel."

Schematic diagram of the Nanchang-Xiamen-Kinmen high-speed railway plan, with conditions reserved for extension to Taiwan

The Fuzhou-Pingtan Railway has reserved conditions for extension to Taiwan

In November 2021, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in response to a question: Advancing the full connectivity between the two sides as it should be, including infrastructure connectivity, is a major proposition put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping. It meets the needs of deepening cross-strait integrated development and also serves the fundamental interests of compatriots on both sides of the strait. The mainland is planning and promoting work related to cross-strait transportation infrastructure construction.

Schematic diagram of the "eight vertical and eight horizontal" corridors in the medium- and long-term railway network plan

The Pingtan section of the Pingtan Strait Road-Rail Bridge has achieved full road and rail connectivity; relevant parties in Fujian Province have completed preliminary technical plans for bridge connections to Kinmen and Matsu; and the "Outline of the National Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Transportation Network Plan" issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council has already planned the construction of the Fuzhou-Taipei branch line.

Pingtan Strait Road-Rail Sea-Crossing Bridge

Over the past decades, in the conception and discussion of the "Taiwan Strait channel," two plans have so far gained general recognition: the northern route and the southern route. The northern route connects with the Beijing-Fuzhou high-speed railway corridor already built by the state, while the southern route can connect with the state-planned Nanchang-Fuzhou-Xiamen and Chongqing-Changsha-Xiamen high-speed railway corridors.

The "northern route" is shorter and closer to Taiwan proper, with a total length of about 140 kilometers, of which the sea-crossing section is about 124 kilometers, and it has the most stable geology. This plan can connect both rail and road to Taipei. Driving from Fujian takes about an hour, and taking a train takes about half an hour to reach Taiwan.

The undersea geological structure of the Taiwan Strait is complex, geological movements are frequent, and the average water depth is more than 60 meters. There is no precedent for building a sea channel in such a geographical environment.

Despite the great difficulty, many top experts and scholars have expressed the same view on different occasions: China has built many world-class tunnels and bridges. Although the "Taiwan Strait channel" will become the world's longest sea-crossing channel, our technical strength is capable of solving these problems.

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

Ge Yaojun, a bridge engineering expert at Tongji University and president of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering, once said that whether a strategic project like the "Taiwan Strait channel" can ultimately be realized depends on three aspects: technology, funding, and politics.

The technical problems can now be solved. In terms of funding, after the completion of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, which involves an investment of 320 billion yuan, it should be possible to free up resources and invest 400 billion yuan in the more significant "Taiwan Strait channel" project. At present, the most difficult issue to resolve is still the political one.